Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both out out and outstanding performance with a brace as Manchester City thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Selhurst Park.
Enzo Maresca saw his side put up a strong display in their second game for the new Premier League season with an impressive victory which offers them massive boost.
The visitors produced a dominant display, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both scoring twice to secure all three points for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Crystal Palace started the match with plenty of energy and looked determined to challenge one of the league’s strongest teams for over a decade.
The home side tried to press high and create chances through quick attacks, but Manchester City gradually took control of possession and dictated the pace of the game.
City’s quality in midfield and attack eventually proved too much for the Eagles. The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Erling Haaland opened his account for the new Premier League campaign.
The Norwegian striker showed his usual composure in front of goal, finishing clinically to give his team a deserved 1-0 lead as the encounter pushed forward.
Palace attempted to respond, but City remained comfortable and carried their advantage into the halftime break. The second half brought even more excitement which was mainly for the away side.
Manchester City raised their level and quickly extended their lead through Rayan Cherki in the 54th minute through an assist from Phil Folden, which made it 2-0.
The French playmaker produced a brilliant individual effort, showing his creativity and technical quality to beat the Palace defence and find the net. Crystal Palace managed to pull a goal back shortly after City’s third goal.
A dangerous free-kick caused problems inside the penalty area and the ball eventually ended up in the net, with the goal recorded as an own goal by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The goal in the 56th minute briefly gave the home supporters hope that their team could stage a comeback. It was a 2-1 scoreline with more to play between both teams.
Just a few minutes later, Cherki struck again to put City firmly in control of the contest 3-1 in the 59th minute. His performance was one of the major talking points of the evening as he continued his excellent start to the season.
Enzo Maresca side’s quickly ended any hopes of a Palace revival. The visitors continued to create chances and looked dangerous every time they moved forward.
Haaland completed his brace late in the game with another composed finish, making it 4-1 and putting the result beyond doubt. It was no way back after the 4th goal which came in the 84th minute.
The striker’s movement, strength and finishing once again showed why he remains one of the most feared forwards in world football.
City’s overall performance will please manager Enzo Maresca. The team looked confident in possession, created numerous scoring opportunities and showed good balance between attack and defence.
Rayan Cherki was outstanding throughout the match, while Haaland’s return to the scoresheet added another positive for the visitors.
The match also saw young midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi make an appearance as City continued to showcase their squad depth. It was an amazing 4-1 Manchester City victory after 90 minutes of action.
It was another difficult evening for Crystal Palace, despite some encouraging moments. Pierre Sage’s side worked hard and showed flashes of quality, but defensive mistakes and City’s attacking power made the difference.
Palace remain without a point after their opening league matches and will be looking to bounce back quickly in the coming weeks.
The victory gives the Citizens back-to-back Premier League wins and provides further evidence that they are adapting well to life under Maresca.
With Haaland rediscovering his scoring touch and Cherki delivering match-winning performances, City look ready to challenge strongly at the top of the table this season.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, will need to regroup and improve defensively as they search for their first league points of the campaign. There was nothing they could have done stop Manchester City from taking the 4-1 victory.